Prologue

"It’s about time! Where have you been? Get inside, you can explain by the fire. Trish! Ethan! Look who’s still breathing!" "Of course, we knew you didn’t die here – we’d have heard about that immediately – but it’s a dangerous world out there." "Hey, that’s not true! Those YouTube downloads were the last things on my mind… if you didn’t have time or something – it’s no big deal." "Sure, you can dump them right here on the table – let me clear a spot!" "Sweet Cricket, you filled them all? What?!… Does that Dark Somnium fella have over 800 videos?!" "I’m beyond words" "Oh, please, no; don’t apologize, I was only having a little fun! We know you have a life out there, and we wouldn’t want you missing a minute on our account. We’re happy for any time we have together, and I mean – look at this – another one of the big battery things too? You spoil us!"  "At least winter is almost over; storms are one thing, but I think I’ve had enough snow for this season." "Maybe you’re right, Trish. I probably am just bitter about that thing with the snowman." "Nothing, friend, it was just a stupid ordeal with a horse and some pumpkins, never mind all that. Anywho, we best get to business before the night starts slipping away. Last time, we read Nicky’s entries from 1752 – and eventually, I would like to show you his writings from the War – but for now, we’ll jump to 1801. Because those don’t take place here; I thought you wanted to learn about ghosts and the Demon." "Alright then – tonight, we read about the seventh bunch that tried to hang their hats in our humble abode. Even though the war ended in ‘83 – the aftermath weighed heavily on the country. You’d be hard-pressed to find a family who didn’t lose someone in the Revolution." "Travelers passed through often; most could be steered around the Cursed Woods with warnings of bandits, but the occasional fool would disappear. In 1801, a French colony passed through Jamestown, but there was a language barrier in communications. They managed a few trades but failed to understand the warnings about Dirge Lake. To make a long story short – they settled right in once they found the houses. The best account of their brief stay is in Joshua’s journal. He’s Nicky’s son; the man was smart – like his father – but he didn’t take to school quite the same way."

That’s really all you need to know for now; let’s get started.

 

 

 

March 30, 1801

These people will bring disaster upon us, that is certain. While I find it difficult to imagine the horrors of which Father spoke – he was the most intelligent, level-headed man I ever knew. If further proof is necessary – there are the lovely homes which stood untouched for decades! For such things to go unused – there is no doubt something must be horribly amiss. Yet, these people have moved in as if all were built for their use! Our predecessors should have burned every last one to the ground. Now that I am the Sheriff – it is my responsibility, but I cannot act alone. Leah wishes for me to deputize her brother… though, he is more likely to shoot friend than foe; Larry has less sense than a headless goat…

I intend to deputize men, but I shall decide who after speaking with Mark. A perk of being the Mayor’s cousin is knowing which issues to press. If he helps to disperse the settlers – he will have the people’s good graces by default! Today, I traveled alone to avoid an inconvenient misconception, though it seems to be unavoidable. They feigned complete ignorance at my words, yet understood we wished them gone. Clearly, our reasons were misjudged… but I cannot express “Demons will eat thee” in French… I can barely

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Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 03.03.2022
ISBN: 978-3-7554-0907-6

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